20 May 2007

20 May 2007

£12,000 payout after back injury

A COUNCIL employee has received £12,000 in damages after injuring his back in an accident at work.

Craig Lewis, who has worked for Lewisham Council for 20 years, injured his back in September 2004 after a chair he was sitting on gave way.

Alleyway clean-up

POLICE and council officials today teamed up to clear fly-tipped rubbish away from an alleyway.

Rushey Green Safer Neighbourhood Team and Lewisham Council workers armed themselves with brooms, overalls and gloves to tackle the alleyway in Blythe Hill Lane, Catford.

Wheelie Bins Made Smaller

Councils are cutting the size of residents' wheelie bins in an attempt to encourage recycling.

Local authorities are to introduce new "baby bins" which will give householders 180-litre containers instead of of the 240-litre versions previously provided.

One of the first councils to do this is Lewisham, but several authorities in London look set to follow.

Three charged over teen robbery

A police search of the area resulted in a double-decker bus being stopped on Bromley Road, Downham, where a group of 10 men and women were asked to get off.

The victim's handbag and mobile phone were found nearby.

A 15-year-old girl from Greenwich, a 14-year-old from Lewisham and an 11-year-old from Lewisham were arrested on suspicion of robbery.

Archbishop to Open £60m Lewisham Hospital Extension

Archbishop Desmond Tutu is to perform an official opening ceremony at the £60m ‘Riverside’ extension to Lewisham Hospital in London, on 21st May 2007. Carillion completed and handed over the facility in November last year and is now providing hard facilities management services at the hospital under the terms of the 30-year PFI contract.

Department for Communities and Local Government urges councils to sell disused public buildings to community groups

The report on Community Management and Ownership of Assets by Lewisham Council chief executive Barry Quirk concludes that transferring public assets to local people leads to more responsive services and more confident communities.

Quirk said: “Community ownership can bring people from different backgrounds together; it can foster a sense of belonging and play a role in enhancing the local environment, alleviating poverty and raising people’s expectations.”

Offenders snub fines

Councillor Simon Carter, the Liberal Democrat spokesman for community safety in Lewisham, says if the police issue fines, they need to follow them up.

He said: "The police need to make sure these fines are being enforced.

"The Liberal Democrats believe to tackle anti-social behaviour, a greater police presence is required on the streets.

"This will have a greater impact instead of issuing on-the-spot fines."

Student to bare all

Chantal Goodey, 29, of Mount Pleasant Road, Lewisham, will be joining campaigners from around the world in Pamplona on July 5.

They will be protesting against bullfighting and the running of the bulls, an annual event in which the animals are set free in the streets and people have to try to avoid them.

Campaign group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta), which aims to end the exploitation of animals, started the Running of the Nudes event in 2002.

Teens jailed for smashing teeth

ROBBERS who smashed out a man's front teeth to steal a lighter worth £1.50 have been jailed for four-and-a-half years.

Two teenagers, a 16-year-old from Orpington and a 14-year-old from South Norwood were imprisoned at Croydon Crown Court last Friday.

A 15-year-old from Lewisham and a 16-year-old from Streatham Hill were also each given a four-year supervision order.

Lawyer: 'Rape' girl should be 'glad of attention'

A barrister provoked outrage yesterday by claiming that the victim of an alleged gang rape was so fat she would have been 'glad of the attention'.

Sheilagh Davies, defending one of three boys accused of raping two girls, said the 16-year-old girl had 'slimmed down a lot' since the alleged attack.

The defendants, all from Catford, South- East London, allegedly told the girls they would be killed if they called police.

Hate crime crackdown arrests

NINE people in Lewisham and Greenwich have been arrested in dawn raids cracking down on domestic violence and hate crime.

The London-wide operation today was "aimed at putting the fear back on to the offender", said a police statement.

07 May 2007

07 May 2007

Life is busy, updates have been thin, as always - I apologise.

Residents calling for prefabs to be saved

Eighty-three homeowners and tenants have signed an online petition on the Downing Street website, calling for their prefab estate in Catford, built after the Second World War, to be saved.

Honouring wartime servicemen

An ex-servicemen's club in Catford is organising a memorial event to remember the men killed aboard HMS Hood.

Canal Approach burns!

A fire which broke out in the early hours of this morning at a warehouse on Canal Approach in Deptford. A number of gas cylinders including two acetylene cylinders were reported at the scene of the fire which caused substantial damage to the two storey warehouse. A 200 metre hazard zone was put in place to ensure public safety, as some cylinders can explode when exposed to heat.

Additional Report Report Report

Looking at how to combat guns

More than 200 people attended a conference held in Catford looking at what action can be taken to solve the problem of gun and knife crime. The Community Call to Action conference was held to look at the problems of gangs, guns and knives on the streets.

Poll says area is not family-friendly

LEWISHAM and Greenwich are among the worst places in the UK to bring up a family, according to a survey. The borough of Lewisham came 400th out of 408 areas in a Reader's Digest poll. Greenwich borough was ranked 393rd, according to the survey of 1,162 parents.

Council rejects mayoral motion

CALLS for a consultation about holding a referendum on Lewisham's directly-elected mayoral system have been rejected. A joint motion, put forward by Liberal Democrat Councillor Mark Morris and Green Party leader Councillor Darren Johnson, was voted down at full council last week.

Warden takes council to tribunal

A STREET warden has taken a council to a tribunal over allegations of outstanding payments. Mark Whyte, of Sunninghill Road, Lewisham, appeared at an employment tribunal in London Road, Croydon, on January 19 to present his £6,000 payment claim against Lewisham Council.

CCTV misses bus robbery

VITAL CCTV footage of a steaming gang attacking bus passengers cannot be used because the camera failed. The eight-strong gang raided a 188 bus in Surrey Quays.

The thugs, believed to be members of the Lewisham-based SFX Boys gang, cornered their young victims on the top deck before making off with cash and mobile phones.

Terror suspects to face trial

A TERROR suspect from Lewisham was among eight men who appeared in court on Friday. The suspects, who were arrested last year after a series of anti-terror raids across the south east, are expected to stand trial later this year.

They are charged on a 32-count indictment which includes charges of soliciting murder, providing training for terrorists and possessing terror documents between March and June last year.

Rise in number of dumped animals

News Shopper reported in October how the Celia Hammond Animal Trust was in danger of grinding to a halt because too many abandoned cats had been left at its doors.

The situation has not really changed at the centre in Lewisham Way, Lewisham. It currently has 115 cats which need to be rehomed. Tust founder Celia Hammond said: "It is sickening and very upsetting so many cats are still being abandoned.



Plantman (Samuel Smithers) aka Blackheath is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. The character first appeared in Strange Tales vol. 1 #113.